Iquitos Weather

Traveling to the Peruvian Amazon is one of life’s great adventures. If you love nature and seeing different animals than this is the place for you. In the northern part of the Peruvian Amazon, you will find the jungle town of Iquitos. In this article, we will give some indication of Iquitos Weather, but first Iquitos had a colorful history that has made the town what it is today.

Iquitos was founded in 1757 as a Jesuit mission, though indigenous tribes actively resisted conversion. In the 1870s, the great rubber boom boosted the population 16-fold and for the next 30 years, Iquitos was the scene of wealth and abject poverty. Rubber barons became fabulously rich, while rubber tappers mainly local tribespeople suffered virtual enslavement and sometimes death from disease or bad treatment.

By WWI, the bottom fell out of the rubber boom as suddenly as it had begun. Plantations were seeded in the Malaysia. It was much cheaper and easier to collect the rubber from orderly rubber tree plantations than from wild trees scattered in the Amazon Basin. Iquitos suffered subsequent economic decline, supporting itself with a combination of logging, agriculture from Brazil nuts, tobacco, bananas and the export of wild animals to zoos. Then, in the 1960s, a second boom revitalized the area. This time the resource was oil, and its discovery made Iquitos a prosperous modern town. In recent years, tourism has also played an important part in the area’s economy.

If you plan to take a luxury Amazon cruise in Peru than Iquitos is the place to start. The city has different ports from which to depart. There is a choice of 4, 5 & 7-day cruises on offer, most offer all the luxury inclusions that you will need and expect. Explore the jungle on one of the many shore excursions, relax on deck with a cocktail and dine on chef prepared meals in the dining room with your fellow guest. Most of the cabins have floor to ceiling windows for maximum views, all this on an upscale adventure river cruise Amazon.

The weather will play an important in your decision on when to travel to Iquitos. Average temperatures in Iquitos vary barely all year round, temperatures are hot and humid all year with a chance of rain most of the year. The temperatures and climate in Iquitos mirror those of the surrounding Amazon rainforest high water and low water seasons. On average, the temperatures in Iquitos are high ranging from 70 – 91 F (21-33 C).

There are two seasons in Iquitos, the high water season from December to May, which sees the rivers at their highest at this time the rivers are more passable and there is access to more of the jungle. The temperatures drop slightly and nights are very pleasant, but the humidity is high. The wet or high water season is the best time to see wildlife in the Iquitos area. There is a chance to see in the wild, Pink Dolphins, giant river Otters, Amazon Manatees, Night Monkeys, Giant River Turtles and many other species that live near or in the river. Another great advantage of Travel to Iquitos in the high water season is the amount of birds that you will see, some of which will include white herons, toucans, jacamars and the wonderful macaws.

The low water season is from June to December and the temperature will be hotter. There will however be less rain and fewer bugs. If you decide to take an Amazon Cruise than you will experience more land excursions. There will still be wildlife to enjoy both in the forest and in the river and if you love to fish this is the perfect time.

The locals say there is no bad time to visit Iquitos and the Iquitos weather is perfect all year round for a luxury jungle experience. If you do not plan to take a cruise and want to experience the jungle on dry land than there are many great jungle lodges to enjoy.

Heliconia Amazon River Lodge, named after the beautiful tropical flower: Heliconia, is one of the most exclusives lodges in the Peruvian Amazon. It is surrounded the rainforest, islands and lagoons full of wildlife. This is a beautiful place to rest and enjoy many activities like bird watching, observation of Pink Dolphins and jungle hikes. Heliconia Amazon River is located on the banks of the majestic Amazon River in Yanamono’s Communal Reserve, a short drive from Iquitos City.

The busiest month for tourism in Iquitos is January followed by March and May. Price for hotels and flights can be more expensive, but these months can be the most pleasant. June is the month that there are the least amount of tourists. There are only two ways to travel to Iquitos there in no road to the city so you will need to fly from Lima or Cusco or travel the lengthy rivers to arrive at the port town.

Luxury travel to Iquitos can be enjoyed all year round and you will never be disappointed.

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